io8 



BIRDS, BEASTS, AND FISHES 



feathers, and may his detestable spinx, spinx, never resound 

 in my garden again. Poor lifeless chaffinch ! whose energies 

 are exhausted in nest-building. Poor unproductive dullard 

 who sings once a year and steals the rest of the season. 

 Hardy thou as the sparrow, uselessly and clumsily living by 

 thieving, grudging of song, dull in mien as a preacher, gayer 

 in winter, and gayest for a brief period in spring, thou lover 

 of winter bachelorhood, thou bird dear to the phlegmatic 

 German, good-bye ! Once a year, for a short season, you 

 silly nest- betray ing male are tolerable, but for the rest of 

 the year well, there is the sea, and dear Germany go seek 

 it, and perish, spinking as you perish, you living chromo- 

 lithograph. 



CHAFFINCH'S NEST AND EGGS. 



